Women’s Labor Reforms

In the late 1800’s into the early 1900’s, a sharp increase in industrialization and a large wave of immigration reshuffled the working class and made social change a viable movement in urbanized cities. Though still unable to vote, many strong, determined women dared to challenge both government and social norms for the betterment of women’s wage work and labor laws.

Florence Kelley, a college educated hero of social reformation, was one such woman. Utilizing her access to higher education and her role in the emerging social science field, Kelley was able to make enormous strides in the limiting of the maximum hours an individual could be forced to work, as well as the implementation of set minimum wages for female workers. The combination of such injustices before hand affected a large variety of women, including Pauline Newman who once recounted that “after working seventy and eighty hours in a seven day week, we did not earn enough to keep body and soul together.” (Orleck, 364) Both Newman and her friend, Rose Schneiderman, were among the women who worked hard during their lifetimes to broaden the vision of the trade unionism in the United States.

A working girl is a human being, with a heart, with desires, with aspirations, with ideas and ideals.

— Pauline Newman

Through campaigns against sweatshops, the formation of workers unions, and the labor legislation protecting women and children via the National Consumers’ League and their consumers’ label, much progress was made. By the year 1919, half of all female workers in the garment industry (the first industry to hire women) joined trade unions and fought for the suffrage cause. Work days exceeding ten hours were declared hazardous and unconstitutional, not just for women but also for men in non-hazardous jobs. An incredibly important aspect of the social reforms for wage earners in this period was that, though primarily focused on assisting the female status in the workplace, much of the progress benefited all unskilled workers—men, women, and children included.

The recognition that women often needed to support themselves was also emphasized at this time, eventually leading to the implementation of minimum wages. A constant misconception of gender roles was that men were the bread-winners and the wage earners outside of the home, while women were strictly tasked with household duties and child-rearing. This lead to the reduction of standards in women’s employment, and the pattern of exploitation among unmarried, female employees within unskilled occupations. Though this fact was combated, there are still remnants of this idea visible today.

These women, however determined, did face their fair share of challenges. Social categories such as gender, age, class, and ethnicity created hurdles in their pursuit, as well as inspired reasoning that motivated them to continue in their efforts. The ethnicity of the Eastern European Jews, for example, unified small communities while making them targets for social and authoritative ridicule. Even though they may have been brought up in traditional Jewish society where mothers were entrepreneurs and skilled business women, the role of middle-class housewives and the expectations of women within the US contradicted such strong character after immigrating. The issue of right-winged attacks and the “red scare” positioned against the empowerment of women’s movements in the 1920’s also hindered their standings in the political culture.

Regardless of opposition, both men and women have empowered the female worker and offered securities and rights regarding employment that many of us take for granted today. The ever-changing definitions and formations of gender constructs have both assisted and hindered the pursuit of suffragism and feminism in the United States’ history, but thanks to inspiring women such as Kelley, Cohn, Newman, Schneiderman, and many others, the fight for equality and the interests of all Americans goes on.

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3 thoughts on “Women’s Labor Reforms”

Very interesting, I enjoyed reading it. I think this was a highly effective movement, like you said, the movement helped all un skilled workers. This is important at the time because it gave extra support for women to advance themselves in the workplace. But did it possibly hinder the impact of women in the workplace? I mean, since the new laws also helped men, could this have a negative effect on the women’s movement? Support across the board is always crucial, but did it take away from the focus on women?

Hi Spencer! I think that, especially at the time, women weren’t yet in a position where they could create and carry out a social movement without the influence of their male allies. Back during the industrial revolution, women couldn’t focus just on themselves but also on the way that men perceived them so that they could get their message across without offending others and thus negatively impacting their goals. I understand why they included men, but I agree with you that it did take away some of the spotlight from women. Nice insight!

I agree with Elise, allyship is essential in any movement, especially if the ally is part of a dominant, more powerful group. In a patriarchal society, for instance, any support from men is crucial to advancing women’s rights, above all during this particular time period, when women weren’t even allowed to vote, let alone voice their concerns without oppressive male scrutiny. It seems as if they had no other choice but to open the discussion and movement to men. As long as women were in charge, however, I don’t believe their focus was shifted. After all, these laws that benefited women laborers eventually benefited men too.